Glossary of Terms

Acquired neurodivergence pertains to changes in an individual’s cognition resulting from injury, illness, or disease.

ADHD is a form of neurodiversity related to differences in focus, attention, and concentration.

Alexithymia is characterised by an individual’s difficulty recognising emotions.

An assessment of need is a process conducted by an Access to Work assessor and an employee to identify the support an individual may require to fulfill their job role.

Access to Work (AtW) is a government-funded grant available for neurodivergent individuals, people with disabilities, or health conditions. It aims to support them in their current jobs, assist them in gaining employment, or facilitate their starting their own businesses.

Autism is a form of neurodiversity that affects how people perceive and interpret the world around them and can include social, emotional, and cognitive variation.

Autistic burnout involves increased sensitivity, severe fatigue, and problems with planning and organisation, greatly affecting daily life.

Belonging in the workplace involves creating an environment where individuals feel respected, valued, and able to be their authentic selves.

An individual’s condition can encompass their physical, mental, and emotional state of health. This includes factors such as overall fitness, the presence of illnesses or diseases, mental well-being, and any other health-related considerations.

Co-occurrence refers to the presence of more than one form of neurodiversity at the same time, such as ADHD and dyslexia.

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) arises from enduring traumatic events over an extended period of time. It differs from PTSD, which often results from a single incident. C-PTSD symptoms include emotional instability, feelings of worthlessness, trust issues, and relationship difficulties. This condition significantly affects daily life and requires treatment.

Diagnosis involves identifying a specific condition by examining symptoms and conducting assessments.

Dyscalculia is a learning difference that impacts an individual’s ability to understand and work with numbers. It can manifest as difficulty with basic arithmetic, understanding mathematical concepts, and solving mathematical problems.

Dysgraphia is a form of neurodiversity relating to difficulties in writing, originating from differences in visual processing abilities.

Dyslexia is a learning difference relating to an individual’s ability to process written and spoken language, often manifesting as challenges in reading, writing, and spelling.

Dyspraxia is a form of neurodiversity that can impact movement and coordination.

The Equality Act (2010) is a legal framework that protects individuals’ rights and promotes equal opportunities.

Heritability is the process by which genetic characteristics and traits are passed down from parents to their children.

Hyperfocus is an intense period of concentration.

Inclusion refers to creating an environment in which every individual feels welcomed, respected, supported, and valued.

Innovative thinking is the ability to devise new and creative solutions to problems or challenges.

Intersectionality refers to the interconnected nature of social categorisations such as race, gender, and class and how these overlapping identities can result in unique experiences of discrimination and disadvantage.

An IQ test is a standardised assessment that evaluates a person’s cognitive abilities across various domains such as logic, reasoning, problem-solving, and verbal comprehension through a battery of subtests. The test results in a score that is interpreted as an estimate of the individual’s cognitive abilities in relation to others.

Lived experience refers to the knowledge and understanding gained from personal firsthand experiences.

Masking is a form of social camouflage where an individual unconsciously or consciously mimics behaviours and communication styles that may be considered the social norm.

An individual who identifies as having different cognitive functioning than someone who is considered neurotypical.

A group of neurodivergent individuals.

Neurotypical is a term that relates to individuals whose cognitive functioning aligns with what is considered standard or typical by societal norms.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder characterised by unwanted intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours or mental acts. Individuals with OCD may find these thoughts and compulsions distressing and time- consuming, significantly impacting daily life.

Perceptual reasoning involves processing and interpreting visual information to solve problems.

Perfectionism arises when individuals set high standards for themselves and others, and it can manifest in various settings, such as work and personal life.

The Processing Speed Index is one component of a standard IQ test that measures how quickly an individual can process and respond to information. This test assesses a person’s ability to quickly and accurately complete cognitive tasks such as identifying patterns, making decisions, and solving problems under time constraints.

The Equality Act (2010) outlines nine protected characteristics that safeguard against discrimination. These include race, gender, age, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

Reasonable adjustments are modifications or accommodations that an organisation is required to make to ensure that individuals are not disadvantaged by its processes or policies.

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is a condition characterised by extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by feelings of rejection or criticism.

Resilience is the ability to overcome or endure difficult experiences.

Sensory overload is when a person experiences an overwhelming amount of sensory input, which can include stimuli such as bright lights, loud noises, crowded spaces, and other sensory information.

Social anxiety is a mental health condition characterized by an intense fear of social situations.

The social model of disability suggests that disability is not caused by the individual’s differences but by social barriers and attitudes that exclude them. It emphasises that removing societal barriers, can enable participation and equality for all.

The concept of a “spiky profile” in neurodiversity highlights that individuals exhibit varying strengths and challenges, in contrast to the more uniform skill sets often seen in neurotypical individuals.

Trauma is a mental health condition resulting from negative experiences, which can have a profound and lasting impact on an individual’s life.

Tourette Syndrome is a form of neurodiversity that is characterised by involuntary vocalisations and movement.

Unconscious bias refers to the automatic and unintentional stereotypes or attitudes that individuals hold about others based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, appearance, and social presentation, without being aware of these biases.

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) is a widely used IQ test specifically designed to measure various aspects of cognitive ability, such as reasoning, problem-solving, and memory, in adults and older adolescents.

Working memory is a cognitive system that enables individuals to temporarily store and manipulate a limited amount of information. It allows for the active maintenance of relevant information during the execution of tasks and plays a crucial role in decision-making, problem-solving, and comprehension.